ACL compiles a daily media monitoring service of stories of interest to the Christian constituency relating to children, family, drugs and alcohol, marriage, human rights, religious freedom etc. Visit the ACL’s website each day to see what’s of interest in the news. Please note that selection of the articles does not represent ACL endorsement of the content.

China has been conducting a 30-plus year experiment in population control and it’s resulting in some terrible repercussions for women — and for men. Millions of Chinese women are missing — many of them dead from abortion and infanticide, actually gendercide. Men are suffering too. Millions of them can’t find wives — and that fosters an unstable and violent culture.

Victoria's liquor licensing regime must be overhauled to tackle alcohol-related harm, the state's auditor-general says. There are more than 19,000 active liquor licences in Victoria, more than double the number 14 years ago.

School Education Minister Peter Garrett has vowed to continue funding for the school chaplains program, after the High Court this morning declared the scheme invalid. The landmark High Court decision could cast doubt on other areas of Commonwealth funding, including the arts, sport, local government road schemes and even potentially, the environment. “We’re committed to maintaining funding for the school chaplains,” Mr Garrett said.

Heather Gorton was one of the first people employed in NSW under the national school chaplaincy program. She comes from a solid Christian background. And she leaves her faith at the gate of Ashfield Public when she turns up to work. In fact, she's not even called a chaplain, a term rejected from the start by the principal of the school, Robyn Hutchinson. Ms Gorton became a social skills co-ordinator. She has been a wonderful addition to the school community, said Mrs Hutchinson, supporting teachers and the school counsellor in their jobs

The High Court has ruled that the national school chaplaincy program is constitutionally invalid because it exceeds the Commonwealth's funding powers. But Attorney General Nicola Roxon has told reporters in Canberra the government would continue funding the program, despite the landmark ruling.

Six years ago this week, Greg Hunt enlisted Louise Markus, David Fawcett and me to formulate the National School Chaplaincy Program for the then federal Education Minister Julie Bishop. Today, the High Court has ruled the program invalid. Back in 2006, it was clear that overstretched state education budgets would never have addressed the vital social issue of pastoral support in our nation’s schools. We had little doubt that in an increasingly complex, pressured and dysfunctional school environment of national importance requiring national action.

Canberra public schools will be inspected to make sure all sharp objects are properly stored as part of a risk assessment ordered by the ACT Education Minister. Chris Bourke requested the review earlier this year following a spate of incidents at schools involving sharp objects.

The ACT Human Rights Commission is struggling to deal with the success of its own awareness campaign. A Budget Estimates hearing has heard increased workloads are impacting on the commission's ability to meet its standards and targets.

The Federal Government says more Indigenous people are being employed at remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern The Government's latest report on the federal Intervention in the Territory says more than 1,000 people were employed in communities in the six months to December last year.

A parliamentary committee has demanded the Government justify any human rights limitations an extension of the Northern Territory intervention imposes on remote Aboriginal communities. Chairman of the joint committee on human rights, Labor MP Harry Jenkins, today told parliament that members had received correspondence from the National Congress of Australia's First People asking them to examine the Stronger Futures Bills now before the Senate.

Julia Gillard's chief parliamentary tactician Anthony Albanese has slapped down a bid for swift consideration of a bill to allow gay marriage. The Leader of the House told the Australian Online today that the vote was months away, not weeks. "It is nowhere near imminent," Mr Albanese said. Gay marriage opponents in Labor's Right faction have been pushing for a vote on the bill, put forward by Labor's Stephen Jones, as soon as next week.

Same-sex couples will no longer be able to enter into a civil union in Queensland. Under a further change to the previous government's controversial law, the Newman Government will rename the Civil Partnerships Act, the Registered Relationships Act. The amended, and renamed Act to be introduced to State Parliament tonight, does away with state-sanctioned ceremonies for people entering into registered relationships.

Campbell Newman is moving to restrict Queensland unions from funding political parties or election campaigns without the specific consent of their members. The Queensland Premier, in a bid to squeeze the cash-strapped Labor Party, yesterday outlined a plan to introduce legislation to force membership votes on political donations.

Senior NSW Labor figures Graham Richardson and Chris Bowen have questioned the conservative bona fides of the state independent MP, Richard Torbay, who is seeking Nationals preselection to challenge the federal independent Tony Windsor for the seat of New England. As a new poll showed yesterday Mr Torbay would trounce Mr Windsor if an election were held now, Mr Richardson backed claims by the NSW general secretary, Sam Dastyari, that Mr Torbay made a last ditch bid in December 2009 to join Labor in return for becoming Premier.

If Egypt's government does go Islamist—and early presidential election results indicate it will— millions of powerless Christians will be seen as troublesome and unwelcome infidels, not just by "extremists," but by the government as well: the first step to genocide. As Egypt's presidential elections come to a close, with the Brotherhood claiming presidential victory, the future for Egypt's indigenous Christians, the Copts, looks bleak.

The Western Australian Commissioner for Children and Young People says an inquiry is needed into the sexualisation of children. Michelle Scott says she is concerned that children are increasingly targeted by marketing campaigns and exposed to 'sexualised' media and advertising. She says she is considering launching an inquiry into the issue if parliament fails to do so.

Same-sex married couples across Australia will be counted for the first time in this week's release of national census figures. The Australian Bureau of Statistics will reveal key results from the 2011 census on Thursday morning, including the number of same-sex couples who identified themselves as being married.